Nahuatl History, Cuisine and Culture in Acapulco

Echoes of the past are ever present in Acapulco—and this goes far beyond the Hollywood history that so many associate with the beach destination, a mid-century playground for the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.

The state of Guerrero, where Acapulco is located, was, in fact, an important part of the beginning of the great indigenous empire which once ruled most of Mexico.

The Nahua—or Nahuatl speaking people—left significant traces of their culture, which revolved around corn and communal labor.

The Nahuatl originated around 500 A.D. in northwestern Mexico and later migrated throughout the country, settling in different places, among them Guerrero. With the Spanish conquest, they started to be known as the Aztecs because they came from a land they called Aztlan.

Today, the Nahua are the largest native group with approximately 1.5 million Nahuatl living in Mexico, and they have largely assimilated. In the state of Guerrero, however, the remnants of the ancient Nahua culture are present in clothing, history, cuisine and even language.

There are approximately 100,000 native Nahuatl speakers currently living in Guerrero and the neighboring state of Morales. The continuing influence of their language in the region is impossible to overlook.

Acapulco’s name itself comes from Nahuatl and means “the place where the reeds were washed away.”

Some say that such a poetic name originated in an ancient Nahua love story, which tells the troubles of Prince Acatl (reed), who fell in love with Princess Quiahuith (rain).

Legend says that, unable to consummate his love with Quiahuith, Acatl dissolved in his own tears and became a mud pond in which reeds began to grow. The princess, seeing her beloved turn into mud became an immense cloud, condensed and poured down to flatten the reeds and die with her prince.

To this day, the seal of the City of Acapulco contains an image of reeds, a homage to this ancient Nahua tale.

One of the most delicious ways the Nahua traditions remain alive in Acapulco, and throughout the world, is its culinary tradition. Nahuatl words are reflected in the cuisine of Guerrero and Mexico—from tamales to chipotle (a type of chili) to the word chili itself, along with tomatl, for tomato.

The region is also famous for its corn, a staple of Mexican cuisine that has conquered the world. Long before it became a ubiquitous ingredient on a global scale, corn was the center of Nahua culture and even preceded them, with records of its presence in the area dating back nearly 9,000 years.

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It can be argued, however, that the Nahua’s most enduring influence over global cuisine is one of the world’s favorite food—chocolate.

While often thought of as a dessert item, chocolate has been used in Mexico since ancient times as a savory ingredient, a rich enhancement to meat dishes. Mole—which comes from “molli”, the Nahuatl world for sauce—is Mexico’s most iconic sauce. Its main ingredient is chocolate, but it also contains peppers, peanuts and other ingredients.

Chefs throughout Mexico have been reinterpreting mole, making it their own and finding new ways to merge the ancient with the modern.

Among the most famous of these is Enrique Olvera, often considered the country’s best chef, featuring mole as his signature dish. His Mexico City restaurant Pujol offers a Mole Madre, or Mother Mole, simmered for more than 1,300 days and then layered with fresh mole.

Olvera brought his talents north of the border, opening two restaurants in New York City: Cosme and Atla. However, his extraordinary culinary talent resonates particularly in Acapulco, where during the 2013 World Forum of Mexican Gastronomy he demonstrated his secrets for his mole sauce, connecting modern Mexican cuisine with the ancient Nahua of Guerrero.

There’s no doubt about it, Acapulco is more than just glamor, sun, sea and sand. Ancient traditions make it a cultural and historic hotspot that keeps luring tourists and will continue to do so.